Guinness beer bottle from 1864 discovered in UK shipwreck

Divers exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Dover, United Kingdom, have discovered a glass beer bottle dating back to 1864. The bottle, which bears the Guinness logo, was identified by Belgian diver Stefan Panis and his colleague Eddie Houzi after rinsing it upon surfacing.

Panis, a diver with over 40 years of experience, believes more bottles may remain buried under the sand, suggesting the wreckage may have contained a crate of at least 24 bottles. He has contacted Guinness to share the find.

To investigate the discovery, samples from the bottle have been sent to a microbiologist at KU Leuven University in Belgium. Researchers hope to analyze the contents to determine if the beer is still potable or if seawater has penetrated the cork. If scientists can recover the full DNA of the yeast, they may be able to recreate the exact 1864 recipe on a small scale.